Hydromassage device



Nov. 7, 1950 c. A. JOBE HYDROMASSAGE DEVICE Filed June 21, 1949 F'IE'I L FIE-I E FIE E IN VENTOR. Char/es A, Jobe ATTORNEYS BY J Patented Nov. 7, 1950 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE HYDROMASSAGE DEVICE Charles A. Jobe, Oakland, Calif.

Application June 21, 1949, Serial No. 100,321

2 Claims. 1

This invention relates to a hydromassage device and particularly to that type of device known as a whirlpool bath.

As a preliminary to other therapy, such as the use of electrical or mechanical devices, the whirlpool bath in diseases and disorders of the extremities is surpassed by no other measure. Such baths furnish a combination of heat and gentle massage and improve local circulation eiiectively in such conditions as peripheral nerve injuries, indolent ulcers, adherent scars, and osteomyelitis as well as recent fractures, immediately after the removal of the cast, and have been found particularly valuable for painful stumps, arthritis, sciatica, polio, rheumatic fever, neuritis and other chronic local painful conditions.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a device of this character which may be either portable or stationary and is simple in operation.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a device of this character in which the controls are simple and readily accessible and the mechanism is concealed and remote from both the patient and the bath.

Further objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following specification taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a top view of a device incorporating my invention;

Figure 2 is a sideview of the device shown in Figure 1, partly broken away; and

Figure 3 is a bottom view of the device shown in Figures 1 nd 2.

As shown in the drawings the device consists generally of a tank, preferably of the general shape shown, suiiiciently large to accommodate that portion of the body to which hydrotherapy is to be applied. This may in some cases include substantially the entire body.

The tank 10 is made of monel metal, stainless steel or any other suitable material and, as has been above pointed out, is of particular size to accommodate those portions of the body to which hydrotherapy is to be applied. It will be noted that the tank is so shaped to provide whirlpool effect to liquid circulated therein as will more fully hereinafter be described.

The tank I is mounted upon a suitable frame II which, in turn, is supported by the casters l2.

A suitable water circulating mechanism I3 is provided which consists, in part, of a pump l6 which is driven through a suitable coupling H by an electric motor l8. Suitable means [9 may be provided to connect the motor to a source of electric current. The inflow side of the pump it is connected by suitable piping 2! to an outlet or drain 22 in the bottom of the tank it while the outflow side of the pump I6 is suitably connected, through a pair of valves 23 and 24, either toa flexible outlet hose 26 or to a rigid outlet pipe 2?. The pipe 2! as is shown extends upwardly through the bottom of the tank Hi to a position within the tank ill. The preferred position is shown and is one in which pipe 21 is parallel to and immediately adjacent one of the side walls of the tank 10. It will be noted that the pipe 21 is provided with a coupling 28 whereby the same may be rotated about its vertical longitudinal axis by operation of the handle 29.

The pipe 21 is also provided with a plurality of orifices 3| through which liquid and air maybe discharged into the tank. The direction of discharge of liquid and air through the orifices 3i is determined by the operation of the handle 29 and the positioning of the pipe 27. It will be obvious, therefore, that the direction of flow may be controlled at will either by the patient or any other operator.

By selectively operating the valves 23 or 24,,

water from the pump it is directed either through the pipe 21 or the hose Et as follows: When the valve 24 is open and the valve 23 is closed, discharge from the pumplfi will be-directed oniy through the pipe 21. When the valve 24 is closed and the valve 23 is open, discharge from the pump l6 will be directed only through the hose When both of the valves 23 and 24 are open the discharge from the pump 6 will be through both the hose 2B andthe pipe 21. The purpose of this dual discharge will more fully hereinafter be described.

At one end of the tank 10 I have provided a control panel 30 which, as shown in Figure 1,

houses a pressure gauge 32, a vacuum gauge 33, a

thermometer 34, and an air inlet valve 35. The pressure gauge 32 indicates the pressure of the Water being discharged through the orifices 31.

whereby the action of the pump draws air through the valve 36 and tube 38, allowing the same to be 3 mixed by the action of the pump, and to be discharged through the hose 26 or the pipe 21, depending upon the manner in which the valves 23 and 24 have been operated, and into the tank [0, thereby aerating the water.

As is shown in Figures 1 and 2, the hose 26 is adapted to be operated for the purpose of discharging water from the tank Ill and draining the same, simply by connecting the same to a suitable drainage source. However, and as shown in Figure 2, the hose 26 is adapted to be reinserted into the tank II] at any suitable place about its upper periphery depending upon the wishes of the operator which, in turn, are dependent upon the therapy being applied. It will be appreciated that combined air and water, which are discharged through the outlet end of the hose 26, will be discharged with considerable force and, therefore, will be injected to a substantial distance below the upper surface of the pool within the tank l0.

Operation of the entire device may briefly be described as follows: The tank is filled in any suitable manner-to a predetermined level with water or other liquid of a predetermined temperature. It has been found that in the treatment of different conditions various temperatures are advisable. For example, whirlpool baths at a temperature of 100 to 110 F. furnish a combination of heat and gentle massage and improve cal circulation eflectively in such conditions as peripheral nerve injuries, indolent ulcers, adherent scars, osteomyelitis of terminal phalanges, polio and rheumatic fever, as well as in recent fractures immediately after the removal of a cast. Whirlpool baths at a temperature of from 116 to 115 F. soften the tissue, produce hyperemia and relieve internal congestion. Temperatures of this order have also been found valuable for painful stumps, old gunshot wounds, arthritis, sciatica, neuritis and other local painful conditions.

When the portions of the body to be treated have been inserted in the water within the tank It], or before then, the electric motor I8 is connected to a suitable source of electric current and the operation of the pump I6 is begun. As previously has been described, setting of the valves 23 and 24 selects the quantity of water to be discharged through the hose 26 or the pipe 21 re-' 7 spectively. Opening or closing of the valve 36 regulates the quantity of air to be drawn through the valve 36 and tube 38 and to be discharged with the water through either the hose 26 or the orifices 3| in the pipe 21. By suitable operation of the handle 29 the direction of discharge of combined liquid and air through the orifices 3| is determined. For example, this liquid and water may be discharged in a direction substantially parallel with the vertical side wall of the tank [0. It may be discharged toward the center of the tank IE3 or directly across the same toward the opposite side wall.

The pump l6 draws liquid from the tank l0 through the drain 22, mixes the same with air drawn through the valve 36, and causes the same to be discharged again into the tank l0 through either or. both of the pipe 21 and the hose 26. The ability to change the direction of flow of liquid and air being discharged through the orifices 3| and the ability to discharge, or not to discharge, air and liquid through the hose 26 into the tank I0 provides extreme flexibility to this device. In addition, the ability to control the quantity Of air to be mixed with the water and discharged into the tank l0 likewise provides flexibility. These features peculiarly adapt this device to a wide variety of diseases and disorders and further adapt the device for treatment to particular portions of the body.

I claim:

1. In a device of the character described, a tank adapted to contain a body of liquid and large enough to accommodate the human body, a drain at one end of said tank, a pair of inlet. devices, the first of said inlet devices comprising a rotatable vertical member mounted adjacent one wall of said tank and the second of said inflow devices comprising a flexible member adapted to be positioned anywhere around the upper edge of said tank, air inlet means, pump means adapted to withdraw liquid from said tank through said drain to mix the same with air from said inlet means and to expel the same through either or both of said inlet means, and controls forv said pump and said air inlet means.

2. In a device of the character described, a tank adapted to contain liquid and large enough to accommodate a portion of a human body to be treated, a drain in the bottom of said tank, a pair of inlet devices, the first of said inlet devices comprising a rotatable vertical pipe mounted adjacent the inner wall of said tank and the second of said inflow devices comprising a, flexible tube member adapted to be positioned anywhere around the upper edge of said tank, air inlet means, pump means adapted to withdraw liquid from said tank through said drain to mix the same with air from said air inlet means and to expel the same through either or both of said inlet means, and controls for said pump and said air inlet means, said controls being immediately adjacent one end of said device and in substantially the same plane as the upper edge of said tank. CHARLES A. J OBE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,896,938 Borowski Feb. 7, 1933 1,948,568 Feber et al. Feb. 27, 1934 2,009,756 Bagwell July 30, 1935 2,091,167 Solley Aug. 24, 1937 

